Casablanca: Police Arrest Individual Suspected of Cyber Extortion, Threatening of Public Order

28 November 2023 Printable Version

Rabat - The National Bureau for Combating Terrorism and Organized Crime, under the National Judicial Police Brigade, in close coordination with the services of the General Directorate for Territorial Surveillance, arrested a call center employee in Casablanca, Monday, on suspicion of involvement in acts of cyber extortion and threats to undermine public order.

According to preliminary investigation data, this 42-year-old individual is suspected of having sent e-mails to several hotel, service and educational facilities in Morocco and abroad, in which he demands sums of money in order not to carry out false threats of terrorist attacks against them, the General Directorate of National Security said in a statement.

Field investigations and technical expertise led to the identification and arrest of the suspect in Casablanca, and revealed that the e-mails sent contained the bank account number of a Moroccan national living abroad, with the intention of taking revenge on the latter for disputes that had arisen between them during previous commercial transactions, added the same source.

Searches carried out in connection with this case have led to the seizure of computer equipment and digital storage media, which are currently being subjected to technical expertise in order to uncover any evidence relating to these criminal acts.

The suspect was taken into custody to complete the judicial investigation being conducted under the supervision of the competent public prosecutor's office to elucidate the ins and outs of this case, the statement concluded.